A Ugandan court has sentenced a 21-year-old social media content creator after he posted a controversial video on TikTok calling for the public flogging of President Yoweri Museveni.
This was made known by the state prosecutor Paul Aheebwa Byamukama.
The creator, identified as Emmanuel Nabugodi, produced a video in which he staged a mock trial of the president, resulting in a charge of “spreading hate speech” against Uganda’s long-serving head of state.
Nabugodi’s conviction means he could face up to seven years in prison.
Nabugodi pleaded guilty on Wednesday and is currently held in Kigo maximum security prison, a facility known for its strict conditions, located near Kampala.
He is set to remain in custody until his sentencing hearing on November 18, when prosecutors are urging the Entebbe court to impose the full seven-year prison term.
Nabugodi’s conviction marks him as the fourth Ugandan citizen recently brought before the courts for criticizing Museveni or his family.
In July, another young Ugandan, also 21, received a six-year prison sentence after insulting Museveni on TikTok.
Museveni has ruled Uganda with an unyielding grip since 1986, after ousting former President Milton Obote, and his government has frequently clamped down on public dissent.
Notable among previous cases is that of award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, who was detained in late 2021 for his criticism of President Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Many Ugandans view Kainerugaba as being groomed to succeed his 80-year-old father. For his outspoken criticism, Rukirabashaija was awarded the 2021 PEN Pinter Prize for an International Writer of Courage, an honoir recognizing those who have faced persecution for their beliefs.
Rukirabashaija has since alleged that he was tortured during his detention, ultimately fleeing Uganda to seek asylum in Germany.
Further underscoring the restrictive climate for free speech, members of a Ugandan comedy troupe were jailed in 2020 after releasing a satirical video that encouraged citizens to pray for the country’s leaders, including Museveni, the police chief, and the head of prisons.
The video circulated during a tense political period just before the 2021 elections, and the government responded swiftly with detentions.
However, mounting public pressure and an online campaign eventually led to the charges against the comedians being dropped.
Uganda’s increasingly stringent stance on media freedom is reflected in its low ranking of 128th out of 180 countries on the global press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders.
Cases like Nabugodi’s and others reveal a broad government crackdown on digital platforms, which have emerged as powerful outlets for Uganda’s youth to express dissent and critique authority.
